Ink jet printers employ pens having print heads that reciprocate over a media sheet and expel droplets onto the sheet to generate a printed image or pattern. Typically, the print head is connected to the pen at a location facing the media, and an electrical printer interface is provided at another location on the pen. The interface typically has numerous conductive lands that connect to a corresponding group of conductors located on a pen carriage, and which connect to control circuitry in the printer. A pen circuit provides connection between the lands and the print head. Typically, a flex circuit, TAB circuit, or polyimide flexible interconnect includes the lands, and connects these to pads on the semiconductor chip comprising the print head.
While effective, the primary disadvantage of this flex circuit approach is that of cost, as the circuit contributes significantly to the total cost of a pen. Because pens are often used as disposable devices that are replaced when their ink supply is depleted, the flex circuit cost contributes to the ongoing printing cost per page.
In addition, traditional flex circuit connections require additional spacing between the print head and the media. Because circuit tabs or wire bonds connect to the front surface of the print head, and are very fragile, they must be encapsulated, typically with a bead of epoxy. However, the bonds and protective encapsulant protrude beyond the face of the print head, requiring additional media clearance to avoid contact. Increasing spacing is generally disadvantageous because marginal angular drop ejection errors are magnified at greater distances, and air resistance has a greater effect over greater distances, particularly with smaller droplet sizes used for increasingly finer printing resolutions.
The present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art by providing an ink jet pen with a pen body defining an ink chamber. A print head on the pen body communicates with the ink chamber. The pen body includes a number of electrically conductive traces that extend from a printer interface region to the print head. The print head may be surface mounted to the body, or connected with anisotropic or Z-axis conductive adhesive. The traces may be conductive material applied into grooves on the surface of the body, or an insert molded leadframe. The interface region and print head may be on a common surface of the body.